Switch actuator arrangement



Jan. 16, 1-968 E. HERMLE SWITCH ACTUATOR ARRANGEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Nov. 8, 1965 Inventor.- 5M4! Hrm 1.

Jan. 16, 1968 Filed Nov. 8, 1965 E. HERMLE SWITCH ACTUATOR ARRANGEMENT 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Inven'for: gd al/flrn Q A v United States Patent ()fi ice3,364,131 7 Patented Jan. 16, 1968 3,364,317 SWll'iCH ACTUATORARRANGEMENT Eduard Hermie, Kirchstrasse 20, Neuhausen (Filder), GermanyFiled Nov. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 506,685 Ciaims priority, applicationGermany, Nov. 12, 1964, H 54,275 6 Claims. (Cl. 200-38) ABSTRACT OF THEDESCLOSURE Cam disks on a shaft are clamped against each other andagainst an abutment flange by nut means having a smaller diameter thanthe abutting faces of the cam disks and flange so that the cam discs areresiliently deformed and reliably clamped.

discs on the common shaft adjustable in circumferential direction sothat the cam portions on the discs which respectively engage theoperating members of the switches to close the same are located at adesired angular position with respect to each other so that the sequenceof operation of the various switches may be changed as desired. In suchan arrangement, each cam disc, has to be mounted on the common shaftturnable with respect to the axis thereof and means have to be providedto fix any of the c am discs properly in a desired angular adjustedposition.

To properly fix each of the cam discs in a proper angu- -lar adjustedposition is diflicult since each of the cam discs has to be turned to adesired angular position and fixed in this angular position, and duringadjusting one of the cam disc's the angular position of the alreadyadjusted cam discs should not be changed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a switch actuatorarrangement in which the angular position of each cam means on the shaftcan be easily adjusted and in which each of the cam means may be clampedto the shaft in a very convenient and reliable manner in the adjustedangular position.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide for aswitch actuator arrangement of the afore mentioned kind permitting toresiliently fix each of the cam means in an adjusted angular position tothe shaft in a convenient manner and in which the whole arrangement iscomposed of relatively few and simple parts so that the switcharrangement may be constructed at reasonable cost and will stand uptrouble free under extended use.

With these objects in view, one embodiment of the present inventionmainly comprises support means, shaft means rotatab'ly mounted on thesupport means and provided with an outer screw thread, a plurality. ofcam means having each a peripheral cam face and opposite side facesmounted spaced from each other on the shaft means turnably about theaxis of the latter, a plurality of abutment means fixed to the shaftmeans axially spaced from each other and each engaging one side face ofa respective one of the plurality of cam means, a ring member for eachcam means arranged about the shaft means axially shiftable with respectthereto and engaging with one end face thereof the other side face ofthe respective cam means, a nut for each ring member threadingly engagedwith the outer screw thread on the shaft means and tightly engaging theother end face of the ring member to press the latter against therespective cam means and the cam means against the respective abutmentmeans so as to hold each of the cam means in an angular adjustedposition fixed on the shaft means, and a plurality of switch meansmounted on the support means and each having an operating memberengaging the peripheral cam face of a respective one of the cam means tobe operated thereby during rotation of the shaft means. Preferably, theswitch arrangement includes further means connecting each ring membernon-rotatable to the shaft means but slidably in axial direction withrespect thereto.

In a preferred form, the aforementioned shaft means include an elongatedshaft and a plurality of sleeve members, one for each cam means,coaxially fixed spaced from each other on the shaft and in thisarrangement the outer screw thread is provided on a portion of eachsleeve member and the cam means as well as the ring members arerespectively mounted on the sleeve mem bers, whereas the nuts arethreadin-gly engaged with the outer screw threads on the respectivesleeves. In this arrangement each of the abutment means is preferablyconstituted by a flange provided at one end of the respective sleevemember extending transverse to the shaft axis and the outer screw threadon each sleeve is provided at an end portion thereof opposite the oneend on which the flange is provided. Each of the sleeve members may befixed to the shaft by a pin extending through aligned bores in the shaftand the sleeve member and this pin may project with an outer portionthereof beyond the peripheral surface of the sleeve member into an axialgroove in the respective ring member, so that the same pin serves alsoto prevent rotation of the ring member on the respective sleeve memberwhile permitting axial movement of the ring member relative to thesleeve member.

Each of the cam means may be formed by at least tvvo cam discs arrangedadjacent each other between the flange of the respective sleeve memberand the ring member thereon and each of the cam discs forming therespective cam means has preferable a peripheral surface portion formingpart of a cylindrical surface coaxial with the shaft axis and arrangedso that when engaged by the switch is closed may be adjusted. In such anarrangement,

the not on each sleeve member is also used to hold the peripheralsurface portions of the two cam discs on each sleeve member in anadjusted angular position with respect to each other. Each of the camdiscs may in such an arrangement be provided with an annular peripheralaxially projecting position adjacent the peripheral surface thereof andarranged in such a manner that an annular abutment face on one cam discengages the flange of the respective sleeve member, whereas the annularabutment face on the other cam means engages a side face of the firstmentioned cam disc facing away from the flange. The aforementionedannular abutment faces on the two cam discs are arranged radiallyoutwardly of the outer periphery of the ring member so that when thering member is pressed against the side face of the cam disc which isspaced farthest from the flange, the two cam discs will be resilientlypressed against each other and against the abutment flange of therespective sleeve member.

The fl=anges of the sleeve members and the cam discs may be provided onthe peripheral surfaces thereof with cooperating graduations andindicating marks permitting an exact adjustment of the cam discs formingeach cam means relative to each other as well as the angular position ofthe ca m means with respect to each other.

The various switch means are preferably arranged on a common supportmember forming part of the support means and this common support memberis preferably of U-shaped cross section forming an elongated channelhaving a bottom wall facing the axis of the shaft means and theplurality of the switch means are respectively arranged at least in partin the channel. The bottom wall of the common support member ispreferably formed with a plurality of spaced bores therethrough in whichthe operating members of the switch means are respectively guided formovement toward and away from the axis of the shaft means. Spring meansare preferably provided for pressing the operating member of each switchmeans in a direction toward the axis of the shaft means.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. Theinvention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method ofoperation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross section through the switch arrangementaccording to the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a partially sectioned side view of the arrangement shown inFIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, and more specifically to FIG. 1 of thesame, it will be seen that the switch arrangement according to thepresent invention preferably comprises a housing having a lower part inthe end walls 12 and 14 of which bearing bushings 16 and 18 arerespectively mounted, each carrying a bearing 22. in which an elongatedshaft 20 is turnably mounted projecting with end portions thereof beyondthe bearings 22. Means, not shown in the drawing, are coupled with oneof the end portions of the shaft 20 for rotating the latter about itsaxis and the other end portion of the shaft is preferably covered by acap, as shown at the right side of FIG. 1.

A plurality of sleeve members 46 are coaxially fixed, in a manner aswill be described later on, spaced from each other on the shaft 20, andeach of the sleeve members 46 is provided at one end thereof with anannular flange 44 projecting substantially normal to the axis of theshaft 20 from one end of the respective sleeve member, whereas the outerperipheral surface of each sleeve is provided at an end portion thereofspaced from the flange 44 with an outer screw thread 46. The shaft 26and the plurality of sleeves 46 fixed thereto constitute shaft meansrotatably mounted on the support means formed by the housing portion 10and the bearings mounted thereon. A plurality of cam means are mountedon the shaft means turnably about the axis of the latter. Each of thecam means is preferably constituted by at least two cam discs 38 and 40which are mounted adjacent each other on the peripheral surface of eachsleeve 46. Each of the cam discs is preferably provided adjacent theouter periphery thereof with an axially projecting portion 56 forming anannular shoulder and the annular abutment face of each portion 56 ofeach cam disc 38 engages a corresponding abutment face of the respectiveflange 44, whereas the annular projecting portion 56 of each cam disc 40engages the side face of the cam disc 38 facing away from the flange 44.Each of the cam discs 38 and 40 has a peripheral surface portion 42(FIG. 2) forming part of a cylindrical surface and the cam discs 38 and46 may be turned with respect to each other that the surface portions 42thereof form a continuous cylindrical surface extending through a givenangle about the axis of the shaft means for a purpose which will bedescribed later on. By adjusting the angular position of the two camdiscs on each sleeve with respect to each other, the length of thiscylindrical surface may be adjusted and by adjusting the angularpositions of the cam discs on each sleeve relative to the cam discs onthe other sleeves the angular positions of the cylindrical surfaces onthe respective cam means each formed by a pair of cam discs may beadjusted relative to each other.

In order to hold the two cam discs 38 and 40 on each sleeve 46 in anadjusted angular position relative to each other as well as in anadjusted angular position to the shaft, a nut 52 is provided for eachsleeve 46 and having an inner screw thread threadingly engaging with theouter screw thread 46' at one end of each sleeve. Each nut 52 ispreferably provided with a plurality, for instance four, blind boresextending in radial direction uniformly spaced from each other into thenut so that the end of a pin may be engaged into a respective one of thebores to thus conveniently turn the nut 52 in one or the otherdirection. A ring member 50 is preferably sandwiched between each camdisc 40 and the respective nut 52 so that by turning the nut intightening direction, an inner portion of ring 50 will be pressedagainst the cam disc 40 and the axially projecting portion 56 thereofwill be pressed against the cam disc 38, whereas the projecting portion56 on the cam disc 38 will be pressed against the flange 44 on therespective sleeve 46 to hold thereby the two cam discs 38 and 40 on eachsleeve in proper adjusted angular position with respect to each other aswell as in proper angular position with respect to the cam discs on theother sleeves. The flanges 44 of the sleeves 46 constitute thereforeabutment means each engaging one abutment face of a respective one ofthe plurality of cam means, the latter being constituted by the pair ofcam discs 38 and 40 on each sleeve 46.

To prevent during tightening of the nut 52 transmission of a torsionalmoment onto the cam discs 38 and 40, which would change the angularposition to which these cam discs have been manually adjusted, means arepreferably provided for connecting each ring member '50 t0 therespective sleeve member 46 nonrotatable with respect thereto, butslidable in axial direction. These means for each ring are preferablyconstituted by a pin 48 tightly fitted in a transverse bore in the shaft20 and extending in radial direction through a correspondingly alignedbore through the sleeve member to project with an end portion thereofbeyond the peripheral surface of the sleeve member. This end portion isslidably guided in an axial slot 54 formed at the inner surface of eachring member 50. Each of the pins 48 serves therefore to fix therespective sleeve member 46 to the shaft 20 and to prevent rotation ofeach ring member 50 relative to the sleeve 46 on which it is mountedwhile permitting the ring to slide on the sleeve member in axialdirection. The radius of ring member 50 is smaller than the radialdistance of the rims 56 from the shaft so that holding means 50, 52 actson an inner portion of cam disc 4% radially spaced from the abuttingportions 56. Consequently, the pressure of nut 52 resiliently deformscam disc 28, 40 to assure a reliable clamping.

The peripheral surface of each flange 44 is preferably provided with agraduation line 44' and the peripheral cam faces of the cam discs 38 and46 are also preferably provided with a plurality of graduations 38' and40,

respectively, to facilitate adjustment .of the angular position of eachcam disc relative to the cam disc adjacent thereto and relative to theflange of the respective sleeve 46 on which the two cam discs aremounted. Such graduations are shown only on the second cam means fromthe left, as shown in FIG. 1, but it is to be understood that all cammeans are provided with such graduations and that the graduation lines44 on the flanges are all aligned along a line parallel to the shaftaxis.

A plurality of switch means 26, one of which is shown in FIG. 2, isprovided adjacent each other and the switch means 26 are preferablymounted on a common support member 23 which, as shown in FIG. 2, has aU-shaped cross section forming an elongated channel having a bottom wallfacing the axis of the shaft 2d and the plurality of switch means 26 arearranged at least in part in this channel fastened to the common supportmember 28 in any convenient manner, for instance by being engaged atopposite end faces thereof by angular spring clips fixed by screws tothe side walls of the U-shaped support member 28. Each switch 26 hasoperating means comprisingan operating member 32 projecting toward theaxis of shaft 20 and slide member 34 extending about each operatingmember 32 and guided movable toward and away from the axis of the shaft2i) in a respective bore formed through the bottom wall of the supportmember 28. The end of each member 34 projecting beyond the outer face ofthe bottom wall of the member 23 is preferably rounded and adapted toengage the cam faces 42 of the pair of cam discs 38 and 40 forming thecam means cooperating with the respective switch 26. A coil spring 36located in a bore of the member 34 and engaging with opposite endsthereof the inner end of this bore and a side wall of the switch 26 ispreferably wound about the operating member 32 so as to press the member34 into engagement with the cam faces 42 of the cam means cooperatingwith the respective switch. An annular shoulder provided on the innerend of each member 34 permits limited movement of each member 34 towardthe shaft axis. The arrangement is made in such a manner that when theacting cam faces 42 of the respective cam means engage the end of themember 34 the latter is pressed toward the switch 26 against the actionof the coil spring 36 to press thereby the operating member 32 into theswitch 26 to close the latter, whereas when the acting cam faces 42 ofthe respective cam discs have moved past the end of the member 34 thelatter is pressed by the spring 36 toward the axis of the shaft 2% untilthe annular shoulder on the member 34 engages the end wall of thesupport member 28 so that the respective switch 26 will open.

The common support member 2% is mounted on a pair of brackets 30,respectively formed on the end portions 12 and 1d of the housing memberby means of screws as shown in FIG. 2. The housing is closed by an upperhousing member 23: removably connected to the lower housing member fitin any convenient manner.

The operation of the switch arrangement above described will be obviousfrom the above description. The various nut members 52 are firstloosened and the cam discs 33 and 49 on each sleeve member 416 areangularly adjusted with respect to each other so that the acting camfaces 42 thereof will be arranged on a continuous cylindrical surfaceportion extending through a preselected angle about the axis of theshaft it). After the two earns 38 and d-tl on each sleeve 46 are thusadjusted, whereby the graduations 44', 38- and 4d" respectively providedon the peripheral surfaces of the cam discs and the flange 44 willfacilitate proper adjustment, the nut 52 is tightened so as to hold thecam disks 38 and at in properly adjusted position on each sleeve as. Thenon-rotatable ring 59 sandwiched between each nut 52 and thecorresponding cam disc 40 will prevent that during tightening of therespective nut 52 any torsional moment is imparted to the respective camdiscs, preventing thereby change of the adjusted position of the camdiscs during tightening of the nut. This operation is repeated for thecam discs on each sleeve, whereby the cam discs on each sleeve are notonly adjusted relative to each other but also with respect to the camdiscs on the other sleeves. The shaft 29 is then rotated by anyconvenient means so that the plurality of switches 26 will be opened andclosed in a desired sequence.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or twoor more together, may also find a useful application in other types ofswitch arrangements differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in aswitch arrangement with a plurality of adjustable cam discs, it is notintended to be limited to the details shown, since various modificationsand structural changes may be made without departing in any way from thespirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthe present invention that others can by applying current knowledgereadily adapt it for various applications without omitting featuresthat, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essentialcharacteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this inventionand, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to becomprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. Switch actuator arrangement, comprising, in combination, shaft meanshaving an outer thread, and at least one abutment means having acircumferential portion with a first abutment face radially spaced fromsaid shaft means; at least one cam disk means for operating a switch andmounted on said shaft means for axial and turning movement and having acircumferential portion with a second abutment face located oppositesaid first abutment face and being radially spaced from said shaftmeans, at least one of said portions projecting in axial directiontoward the other of said portions and forming a shoulder; and at leastone holding means including nut means mounted on said shaft means inthreaded engagement with said outer thread on the side of said cam diskmeans remote from said abutment means, said holding means having aradius smaller than the radial distance of said first and secondabutment faces and of said shoulder from said shaft means, said holdingmeans exerting pressure in axial direction on an inner portion of saidcam disk means to move the same into a position in which said secondabutment face abuts said first abutment face while said abutment meansand cam disk means are axially spaced in the region of said innerportion so that said cam disk means is resiliently clamped to saidabutment means and shaft means and is angularly adjustable uponloosening of said nut means.

2. Switch actuator arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said camdisk means has said projecting circumferential portion.

3. Switch actuator means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cam diskmeans includes two cam disks mounted adjacent each other on said shaftmeans for axial move ment and for turning movement relative to eachother, the one of said cam disks adjacent said abutment means havingsaid axially projecting circumferential portion, and the other of saidcam disks having a circumferential portion axially projecting towardsaid one cam disk and having a third abutment face abutting said one camdisk so that the inner portions of said cam disks are axially spacedfrom each other and from said abutment means; and wherein said holdingmeans acts on an inner portion of said other cam disk to resilientlyclamp said other cam disk against said one cam disk, and said one camdisk against said abutment means whereby said cam disks are connectedwith said shaft means for rotation.

Switch actuator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said circumferentialportion of said abutment means has a graduated scale; and wherein saidcircumferential portions of said cam disks have indicating markscooperating with said scale for indicating angular positions of said camdisks in relation to each other and to said shaft means, and to a switchoperated by said cam disks.

5. Switch actuator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said holding meansinclude a ring member having a radius smaller than the radius of saidnut means and located between said nut means and said inner portion ofsaid cam disk means; and wherein said shaft means includes a member forguiding said ring member in axial direction and blocking turningmovement of the same so that pressure of said nut means against saidring member is transmitted by the same in axial direction to said innerportion without transmission of a torque to said cam disk means. i

6. Switch actuator arrangement as claimed in claim 5 wherein said ringmember has an inner surface surrounding said shaft means and formed withan axially extendin g groove; and wherein said guiding member is a pinradially projecting from said shaft means into said groove for guidingsaid ring member in axial direction.

References flirted UNETED STATES PATENTS 2,190,337 2/1940 Shaw200-153.13 X 2,245,369 6/1941 Smith 200-38 2,745,918 5/1956 Steward20038 X 2,978,553 4/1961 Bundy et a1. ZOO-153.13 X 3,200,209 8/1965Fitzgerald ZOO-453.13 X

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

H. BURKS, Assistant Examiner.

